Sports news from Los Angeles and beyond

Ducks vs. Canucks: Vancouver shuts out Anaheim, 3-0

March 6, 2011 | 4:42
pm

Canucks 3, Ducks 0 (final)

The Ducks' three-game winning streak has fallen victim to the NHL's top team.

Manny Malhotra scored twice and NHL leading scorer Daniel Sedin added another as Vancouver defeated the Ducks on Sunday night at Honda Center in the final regular-season matchup between the two squads.

The Ducks had plenty of chances to prevent Cory Schneider from posting his first career shutout, but couldn't make the most of their opportunities. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf each fanned on shots in front of the net, Lubomir Visnovsky rang a shot off the post and Toni Lydman hit the crossbar. The Ducks outshot Vancouver, 26-16.

The Ducks slipped to 10th place in the Western Conference with the loss.

The Ducks close out their seven-game homestand against the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

It took Vancouver's Manny Malhotra 771 games to score 99 goals. He has two so far tonight.

Malhotra scored 17 seconds into the second period, taking advantage of a turnover by Cam Fowler in the corner behind the net to give the NHL's top team a two-goal lead heading into the third period.

It was a rare mistake by the rookie defenseman, who tried to fling the puck behind him to a teammate who wasn't there. Jannik Hansen took the puck and quickly shoveled it to Malhotra, who snapped it past goalie Dan Ellis.

The Ducks, however, haven't capitalized on their scoring chances.

Lubomir Visnovsky, fresh off his second-career hat trick Friday, ringed a shot off the post and Toni Lydman hit the crossbar. Earlier in the period, Ryan Getzlaf fanned on a shot attempt while gliding through the slot.

They also failed to score on parts of consecutive power plays toward the end of the period. The Ducks start the third period on the power play with 41 seconds left on a hooking penalty to Vancouver's Christian Ehrhoff.

The Ducks are outshooting Vancouver, 17-11.

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End of first period: Canucks 1, Ducks 0

Can the Ducks continue their comeback habit?

They’ll need to if they want to keep their winning streak alive after surrendering an early goal to trail, 1-0, at the end of the first period.

Vancouver didn’t waste any time getting onto the scoreboard as Manny Malhotra scored his 100th career goal on a one-timer 42 seconds into the game.

A couple of Vancouver interference penalties allowed the Ducks to have some offensive chances, but so far they've had no luck sneaking the puck past goalie Cory Schneider.

Corey Perry nearly scored his 32nd goal on the Ducks’ first power play, but he couldn’t connect on a pass from Cam Fowler just outside the top of the crease. Teemu Selanne failed to score on the Ducks’ second power play when he got nothing but Schneider’s left leg pad when he broke free with the puck on a lobbing pass from Ryan Getzlaf.

The Ducks sit in ninth place and could take away the all-important No. 8 spot from the Kings with a victory over Vancouver. The Canucks are coming off a 3-1 victory over the Kings on Saturday.

Vancouver is 5-5 in its last 10 games but sits atop the NHL standings with 91 points. Daniel Sedin, a front-runner for the league's most-valuable-player award, continues to inch closer toward his first Art Ross Trophy, leading the NHL in scoring with 80 points. He entered Sunday with three goals and six points in three games against the Ducks this season.

Bobby Ryan, who on Tuesday became the third player in Ducks history after Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya to put up three consecutive 30-goal seasons, has six points in his last five games. He has three goals (including two game-winning tallies) and four points against the Canucks this season.

Here's what the Ducks had to say after Friday's victory:

-- Austin Knoblauch

Photo: Ducks right wing Corey Perry makes a pass as he falls to the ice by after Canucks right wing Jannik Hansen deliverd a hit in the second period Sunday at Honda Center. Credit: Mike Blake / Reuters